Thursday, December 6, 2012

According to local authorities in eastern Ghazni province of Afghanistan, dozens of weapons and huge amount of ammunition were stolen by an employee working in arms depot in this province.Provincial council chief Abdul Jameh Jameh confirming the report said the individual who stole the weapons was recognized as Sardar Mohammad and was working in provincial security commandment arms depot.

While expressing concerns regarding the arms robbery Mr. Jameh emphasized that the security official should be precise while hiring people in such important places.

Sardar Mohammad was reportedly working on Ghazni arms depot for a long period of time and according to preliminary investigation reports suggest that he had stolen 19 pistols and 8 AK-47 rifles.

There are also reports that Sardar Mohammad was tried over robbery charges in provincial appeal court on Wednesday.

Ghazni is among the volatile province in eastern Afghanistan where armed militant groups are openly operating however recent issues in government organizations have created tensions among the residents of this province.

Provincial council members are concerned of further increase in violence once the weapons are distributed among the insurgent groups in this province.

In the meantime Sardar Mohammad deny allegations against him and said that a number of the other depot officials are trying to accuse him for the incident.

Without disclosing the names of the officials, he said the officials forced him to sign a number of the papers and he was unaware regarding the arms depot.from KHAAMABy Sayed Jawad - Thu Dec 06, 3:39 pm

MOGADISHU, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Forces of the local autonomous Puntland administration in northeast Somalia said nine people including seven Al-Shabaab fighters were killed and weapons seized as local forces repulsed an attack by the militant group near the mountainous area of Galgala, authorities said in a statement on Wednesday.

"At least 7 Al-Shabaab attackers were killed, their weapons were seized and the terrorists retreated with more than 12 wounded, according to intelligence information. Two Puntland soldiers were killed in the nighttime attack," Puntland authorities said in the statement.

A group of heavily armed fighters from Al-Shabaab attacked local defense forces based at the frontlines near Galgala Mountains, said a statement from the authorities. The attack took place late Tuesday.

"The terrorists attacked from different directions and Puntland forces repelled the attackers," the local administration said in the statement.

Authorities say security forces are pursuing the attacker in the mountainous area, a flashpoint of a number of previous clashes with the radical fighters.

Separately, a roadside bomb explosion near Galgala targeted a vehicle transporting Puntland soldiers left "10 casualties", a statement from local administration said without elaborating on the nature of the casualties and when the latter attack took place.

The militant group of Al-Shabaab has lately been active in Puntland particularly in the Galgala area, north of the commercial city of Bossaso, where they sought sanctuary following their successive loses in southern and central parts of the country.

ISLAMABAD (PAN): Four people were killed on Thursday in a US drone attack on the North Waziristan, the tribal region of Pakistan near Afghan border, an official said.

The predawn attack was carried out at around 5am, when unmanned US aircraft, fired two missiles into a house in the Mubarak Shahi village on the outskirts Mir Ali, the main town of North Waziristan, an official said on condition of anonymity.

According to the official, four Uzbek fighters were killed in the attack.

However, a local reporter, Yousuf Haroon, said the victims were burnt and their bodies were beyond recognition.

Since early 2012, it was the 45th drone strike in North Waziristan and the second attack this month.

A US drone fired two missiles at a compound in Pakistan s northwestern tribal district of North Waziristan early Thursday, killing at least four persons, local security officials said.

The missiles hit a house in Mubarak Shahi village, in Mir Ali, 20 kilometres east of Miranshah, the main town in the North Waziristan tribal district, which is a stronghold of Taliban and al Qaeda-linked militants.

“Militants were using this house as a compound,” a security official based in the northwestern city of Peshawar.

Four missiles were fired at a compound, killing four militants and injuring several others, according to reports.

ISLAMABAD, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- At least four people were killed in a U.S. drone strike launched in Pakistan's northwest tribal area of North Waziristan on early Thursday morning, reported local media Ary.

According to the local media reports, the strike took place at pre-dawn time when U.S. unmanned aircraft fired two missiles at a house suspected of being a militant hideout in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan, a militancy-hit area bordering Afghanistan.

The identities of the killed are not immediately available.

On Dec. 1, the U.S. drones launched a strike in South Waziristan, the neighboring tribal area of North Waizirstan, killing at least four people including an al-Qaeda leader named Abdul Rehman Azman, a Yemeni national believed to be one of the close aides of the former al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.

Thursday's U.S. drone strike is the 37th of its kind (counted on daily basis) in Pakistan in 2012. According to Xinhua's tally, at least 265 people have been killed in such strikes since this year.

Despite the repeated protests by the Pakistani side, the United States has never halted its drone strikes in Pakistan, which has caused a strong anti-Amercian sentiment among the local people.

BISMARCK, N.D. — Two North Dakota Army National Guard soldiers died in a roadside bomb attack in Afghanistan, the state Guard’s first casualties in the war on terror in six years. A third soldier was wounded.

Spc. Ian Placek, 23, of Bismarck, was wounded. He was in stable condition at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, according to the Guard.

"Our hearts and prayers are with their families as they grieve the loss of their loved ones," Gov. Jack Dalrymple said in a statement late Tuesday. "Our thoughts are also with Spc. Placek as he recovers from his injuries. We will never forget these heroes or the last full measure of devotion they gave in defense of our homeland and our way of life."

Dalrymple, who spoke Wednesday during an organizational session of the North Dakota Legislature, asked the lawmakers to observe a moment of silence to honor the soldiers.

The soldiers were serving with the 818th Engineer Company. The unit is headquartered in Williston with a detachment in Hazen. About 100 members of the unit deployed in April for a year of duty overseas, arriving in Afghanistan in June after undergoing final training at Fort Bliss in Texas. The unit focuses on combat engineer missions, such as construction, demolition and route clearance — the duty they were handling when the attack occurred at about 6:30 p.m. Monday Afghanistan time, which is about 8 a.m. in North Dakota.

"We are extremely saddened by the loss of two of our soldiers and extend our most sincere condolences and prayers to their family and friends during this time of sorrow," said Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, the state Guard commander. "We also wish Spc. Placek a speedy recovery. We will always remember our brave Soldiers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty."

Fourteen North Dakota guardsmen have now died in action in Iraq and Afghanistan. The last casualty was in November 2006.

Spc. Tyler Orgaard

Capt. Dan Murphy, a Guard spokesman, said the bodies of the soldiers killed Monday were expected to arrive at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware early Wednesday afternoon.

Linde is survived by his wife, Adrienne, of Devils Lake, and four children. He also deployed to Iraq with the Guard's 164th Engineer Battalion from August 2007 to April 2008.

Murphy said Linde's widow and three of his children were en route to Dover Air Force Base on Wednesday. Murphy said Orgaard's family was not travelling to the Delaware base.

Orgaard is survived by his parents, Josephine and Jesse Orgaard, of Bismarck. He joined the North Dakota Guard shortly before his graduation from Bismarck Century High School in 2011. Afghanistan was his first overseas deployment.

Linde originally enlisted in the North Dakota Guard in 1990. He served in the U.S. Army and Montana Army National Guard before returning to the North Dakota Guard in 2006. Since 2009, he served as a full-time instructor with the Guard's 164th Regional Training Institute, at the Camp Grafton Training Center near Devils Lake.

KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan and coalition security force conducted an
operation in Dara-e Pech district, Kunar province, Dec. 5 that killed
the Taliban leader Akhbar and several other insurgents.

Akhbar coordinated the movement of insurgent fighters in Kunar and was
directly responsible for supplying money and equipment to insurgents for
use in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in the province.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

North

In Dahanah-ye Ghori district, Baghlan province, Dec. 6, an Afghan and
coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader who was responsible
for acquiring and distributing weapons and explosives to insurgents in
the area. During the operation, the combined force also detained several
suspected insurgents and seized a number of improvised explosive device
components.

South

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in
Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand province, Dec. 6. The leader directed the
activities of a group of insurgents in Uruzgan province, and was
directly involved in planning and execution direct fire and improvised
explosive device attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. During the
operation, the security force also detained two suspected insurgents.

East

Dec. 6 in Maidan Shahr district, Wardak province, an Afghan and
coalition security force conducted an operation in search of a
district-level Taliban leader who oversees improvised explosive device
operations in Maidan Shahr. During the operation the security force
detained one suspected insurgent.

Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces discovered a weapons
cache in Musa Khel District. The cache contained two jugs of homemade
explosives.

Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces discovered a second
weapons cache in Musa Khel district containing small arms ammunition and
one grenade.

Afghan National Security Forces found and safely cleared one IED in Tani district.

Laghman province

Afghan National Army soldiers killed one insurgent during an engagement in Alingar district.

Logar province

Afghan National Security Forces discovered a weapons cache in Pul-e Alam
district. The cache contained mortar rounds, six IEDs, various
chemicals used in making IEDs and, and 230 illumination cartridges.

Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared one IED in Pul-e Alam district.

QUETTA: Two people were killed and three others wounded, including a brother of Balochistan finance minister, in separate firing incidents in Balochistan on Tuesday. An explosion also occurred in a Frontier Corps camp in Turbat.

According to police, unidentified armed men opened indiscriminate fire on Muhammad Asif, the brother of Finance Minister Mir Asim Kurd Gailo, in Panjgour town. Asif sustained serious wounds and was rushed to a nearby hospital for medical aid. The assailants fled from the scene after committing the crime.

In another incident, unidentified men killed a driver and wounded two others in Qila Saifullah.

Levies sources said that armed men opened indiscriminate fire on workers of a road construction company in Kanchogi area in Muslim Bagh tehsil. Resultantly, bulldozer driver Muhammad Khalid died on the spot and Qari and Muhammad Faisal were seriously wounded.

In Quetta, police recovered a body from Essa Nagri Brewery Road and shifted it to hospital for autopsy. However, identity of the deceased could not be ascertained.from paktribune05 December, 2012

The patrol was pinned down by small arms and rocket propelled grenade fire. After ensuring the area was clear of civilians, the area was clear of civilians, the joint patrol called for air support killing three insurgents. The patrol was able to clear the remainder of the route to their compound, and ensure the area was free of insurgent activity.

While advising the Patrol Commander, a Special Operations Task Force-East Operations Officer said, “Even with the large amount of insurgents in the area, the ANSF are effectively countering their actions, making them unable to intimidate and attack the civilians of the remote village.”

No civilian or Afghan National Security Forces were injured or killed during the engagement.from KHAAMABy Sadaf Shinwari - Wed Dec 05, 4:14 pm

MECHANICVILLE — A 26-year-old Marine from Mechanicville was killed Sunday by enemy fire while on foot patrol in the Marjeh District of Afghanistan, military authorities said on Monday.

Lance Cpl. Anthony J. Denier, who joined the Marines nearly two years ago, was pronounced dead at 10:45 a.m. Sunday after an enemy bullet hit him in the neck, said First Sgt. Stephen Griffin of the U.S. Marine Corps.

The wounded Marine was airlifted from the combat scene but was pronounced dead when he arrived at a military medical facility, Griffin said.

Denier’s body is expected to arrive sometime today at the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

Ann Denier of Mechanicville, Anthony Denier’s aunt, said Anthony usually called his mother, Mary Denier Morgan, each Sunday morning from Afghanistan.

“She was just waiting for the call when she heard a knock on her door,” Ann Denier said. The visitors were two Marines coming to tell her that her son had been killed in combat.

“He was a very good person and we were proud of him. He was presented with medals and awards while in the Marines,” his aunt said.

Anthony was not married. He is survived by his mother, a father who lives in Florida, and two older sisters who live in Gloversville.

‘died a hero’

Before he deployed to Afghanistan, Anthony Denier came home for 10 days from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. The Deniers held a family gathering in his honor before he departed Oct. 26.

“The whole family was there,” Ann Denier said.

John Denier of River Road, Anthony’s uncle, said the Marines told the family that Anthony Denier “died a hero, defending his country.”

The Mechanicville native, who graduated from Mechanicville High School, had been a house and commercial painter before joining the Marines. He was a member of the Third Battalion, 9th Marines, Regimental Combat Team No. 7 of the First Marine Division (Forward). His stateside post was Camp Lejeune.

The DeVito-Salvadore Funeral Home in Mechanicville is in charge of funeral arrangements

Thomas Salvadore said Monday that Denier’s body is expected to arrive sometime today at Dover Air Force Base. It will be four to seven days before the body is flown to Albany International Airport.

The body will be met in Albany by a Marine Corps honor guard and family members.

Salvadore said there will be calling hours at the American Legion Post 91 on South Main Street in Mechanicville. The funeral services will also be held at the American Legion post but times and dates are still being finalized. Burial will be in the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery in the town of Saratoga.

Mechanicville Supervisor Thomas Richardson said Monday that he did not know Anthony Denier personally but knows members of the Denier family.

“It’s a nice family. I’m sure he was a fine young man. It’s absolutely a tragedy,” Richardson said.

“There’s not a word in the dictionary to express it. I feel terrible for the family. It’s a bad day for everyone,” he said.

KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan and coalition security force conducted an
operation in Watahpur district, Kunar province, yesterday that resulted
in the death of the insurgent leader, Mohammed Yar Gul, and two other
insurgents.

Mohammed Yar Gul coordinated the movement of insurgent fighters
throughout Kunar province. He was directly involved in suicide attack
operations in the region and planned and conducted improvised explosive
device attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in Watahpur.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

North

Yesterday, an Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation
in Mazar-e Sharif district, Balkh province that resulted in the death
of Nasrullah, a district-level Taliban leader in Chahar Bolak district,
Balkh province. Nasrullah, also known as Hijran, directed and
coordinated insurgent attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in
Chahar Bolak. During the operation, the combined security force killed
one other insurgent and seized a large quantity of improvised explosive
device material.

An Afghan and coalition security force detained an Islamic Movement of
Uzbekistan facilitator during an operation in Kunduz district, Kunduz
province, yesterday. The facilitator oversaw the transfer of improvised
explosive device materials to insurgents, and directed the emplacement
of IEDs against Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also
detained one suspected insurgent as a result of the operation.